Week in Review: March 9-13

While caucuses continued to focus on their priorities of fraud and immigration with bills in committees, bills on other topics were able to break through to garner attention this week.

After hearing from Minnesota residents about their city officials entering into nondisclosure agreements over large-scale data center projects, the House Elections Finance and Government Operations Committee gave the greenlight to a bill banning municipalities from entering such agreements.

Parents gave tearful testimony before the House Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee about their 11-month-old infant who died after he was found unresponsive at his daycare, in support of HF4277, known as “Harvey’s Law,” to require video cameras in licensed daycares that receive state funding. No action was taken on the bill.

The House Transportation Finance and Policy Committee gave the OK to HF4111 that would consolidate all of the suburban transit operations under the umbrella of Metro Transit.

During the floor session Thursday, the House passed its first three bills of the session. The bills included HF3556, which would rename the state’s community solar garden program after the late Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, and HF3378 to release to legislators the full Optum report that reviewed $9.4 billion in claims across 14 Medicaid services deemed at high risk of fraud.

Only two weeks left until the first and second committee deadlines.

Stay safe this weekend and get those snowblowers ready. Here’s a look back at the week:

BUSINESS AND COMMERCE

Bill to ban corporate campaign donations stalls in commerce committee

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18984

CIVIL LAW

Judiciary panel fails to advance bill to limit civil immigration enforcement

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18962

EDUCATION

Public vs. private clash means incomplete grade for bill that’d provide federal education dollars

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18964

Education committee lays over governor’s policy bill

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18977

ELECTIONS

Provisional ballot requirement for same-day voter registrants is rejected

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18957

EMPLOYMENT

Bill targeting ‘stay or pay’ provisions meets committee roadblock

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18974

Briefings highlight workforce strengths, areas of possible concern

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18985

ENERGY

Both sides cite affordability as energy efficiency proposal hits resistance in committee

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18960

Bill would go after late fees charged by utilities

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18966

House passes bill to rename community solar program in Hortman’s honor

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18989

ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Plastic beverage bottle tax would aim to help meet water infrastructure needs

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18967

Pair of bills take aim at banning neonicotinoid insecticides, paraquat herbicide

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18979

GAME AND FISH

Bill to expand crossbow hunting heads to House Floor

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18988

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Employee calls for ‘massive change’ at Department of Human Services, including leadership

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18956

Bill that would legalize psilocybin-assisted therapy gets committee OK

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18959

Higher wages for care workers aiding multiple clients at once placed on hold

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18961

Looking to catch abusers, ‘Harvey’s Law’ would require cameras in daycares

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18968

Youth bill of rights would outline standards for foster care

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18978

Lawmakers support their access to full Optum report, but not the public

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18987

HIGHER EDUCATION

Undocumented nonresident students could be ineligible for state financial aid

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18969

Bill would extend in-state tuition to families relocating for full-time jobs

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18986

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Nondisclosure agreements could become no-nos for municipalities

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18973

School referendum ballot change would remove notice of taxation

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18975

Will livestreamed government proceedings be coming to your Facebook feed?

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18982

MILITARY AND VETERANS AFFAIRS

Market value exclusion increase sought for first time since 2008 for veterans with a disability

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18971

PUBLIC SAFETY

Enhanced penalties for crimes against vulnerable adults gets hearing

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18970

Public safety committee rejects bill to increase penalties for misconduct by public officials

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18980

STATE GOVERNMENT

‘Ditch the Switch’ could end moving clock back or forward an hour twice per year

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18965

‘Melissa Hortman State Office Building’ gets overwhelming committee approval

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18983

TAXES

Tax panel weighs increasing renter’s credit eligibility and amounts

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18963

Pass-through entity extension fails in taxes committee

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18972

Tax panel considers expanding refunds for big property tax hikes

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18981

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation panel votes down electronic driver’s licenses and state IDs

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18958

Transportation panel approves plan for a Metro Transit takeover of suburban routes

https://www.house.mn.gov/SessionDaily/Story/18976